https://pagesix.com/2020/12/09/nyc-comedy-club-owner-slams-covid-19-double-standard-for-snl/by Tashara Jones
December 9, 2020
Dani Zoldan, co-owner of Upper West Side comedy club Stand Up NY, told Page Six that it seems as if there’s one set of rules for the long-running NBC show and another for local clubs.
He told us that comedy clubs in the city are being forced out of business by the lockdown, and said, “From the perspective of a comedy club owner, it’s frustrating, day in and day out, to bear witness to this loss and see that every Saturday night ‘SNL’ is allowed to produce their show indoors, seemingly in violation of the same laws crushing small businesses all over New York City.â€
“They have a live studio audience and the cast members are not social distancing,†he said. “I was watching the show Saturday night and I was so upset that struggling comedy clubs are going out of business while they’re doing their thing and collecting a paycheck.â€
He said that, to add insult to injury, “SNL†star Pete Davidson mocked last week’s high- profile anti-lockdown protests at Mac’s pub in Staten Island during the “Weekend Update†segment.
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